Friday Sips

Drop by today to taste the 2 fun & flavorful dry pink wines plus 2 reds that are featured below. Lots of chills, thrills and hopefully no spills will be enjoyed by all!

Imagine driving along the highway and from the rearview mirror you see something rapidly approaching your tail, you wonder aloud, "what the bloody hell"!?
It looks like, it is, a brightly painted bus with flags, streamers and confetti flapping from the windows. Hey, it is a bus, filled with enthusiastic drunken cheerleaders singing and cheering something about 2-4-6-8, what's the Rose we most appreciate? Chiaretto, Chiaretto, Yaaayyy! Chiraretto! Minchia, this is fun!

From Veneto and specifically the Bardolino region close to Lake Garda with lust, oops I mean love, comes Le Fraghe's Chiaretto Rose. Comprised of Corvina and Rondinella grapes blended to perfection this pulsating pink offers lively notes of pie cherry and Queen Anne cherry with a floral bouquet that is fresh, fruity and filled-out like the cheerleader at the bottom of the pyramid. Add to that a long, leggy finish and we think you're starting to get the picture. In-the-know natives of this region call this the "Christmas wine" enjoying a glass or six with their holiday feast, but we aren’t suggesting you wait until December to try this absolutely gushing treat. How does the saying go - Christmas in July!

From famed Chateauneuf-du-Pape producer Domaine de Beaurenard comes a new, value-oriented dry pink wine from the Vaucluse region of Provence. Biotiful Fox is a play on words as Beaurenard means beautiful fox and les freres Coulon farm using Biodynamic principles.

Made with mostly Grenache along with Syrah and Mourvedre, There is so much joy and liveliness to this dry pink wine. Erupting aromas of strawberry, melon and subtle herb aromas that lead into a zesty, crisp, yet fleshy texture that provides an abundance of fun. Toss back this summer slammer on your porch, at a picnic, at the beach, in the hot tub or with light cheeses. A true rarity these days to find a Provencal Rose for 10 bucks that is actually this damn good!

We featured this stunning Oregon Pinot Noir value early last week but decided that you all should taste it today. Marcus Goodfellow has been thrilling Oregon wine lovers with his Matello wines and now is making wines under his namesake label of Goodfellow Family Wines. As we head into the future and with the ever-rising costs of Pinot Noir grapes, one has to wonder just how long we are going to continue to see value-oriented wines such as this.

A true-to-life Willamette Valley Pinot, this wine is blended from some of Marcus’s top sources. 40% comes from Whistling Ridge Vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge district, 20% from Durant in the Dundee Hills, 25% from Bishop Creek and 15% Deux Vert, both fine vineyards in Yamhill-Carlton. The 2013 is an appealing, extremely well crafted Pinot that performs mightily but never overacts. Stylish red and blackcurrant fruit permeates from the glass and enhanced by intertwined cinnamon; violet and red earth that follows into a smooth, velvet-laden mouth filling texture that seduces lingers and calls you back for another glass. Support the home team, drink this pinot now over the next 3-4 years with a range of dishes from grilled salmon to lamb shanks to pork roast and smoked fowl.

The Northern reaches of Piedmont are quite in vogue, especially with a resurgence of regions like Gattinara and Ghemme but also a rediscovery of sorts of formerly lesser-known DOCs like Fara, Lessona and for this particular wine, Boca. Closer to Swiss border than Alba, the wines here are markedly different from those of Barolo and Barbaresco and have wonderful distinction to them.

Christoph Kunzli from Le Piane literally led the rediscovery of this old and somewhat forgotten region with a fascination that began in 1988 when he met an elderly producer from the area, Antonio Cerri. Upon seeing the potential of the area, he and a partner bought the vineyards, winery and even the old stock of bottles that Signore Cerri possessed. Nebbiolo is very important to this region; however, it is blended with other varietals as well. This wine is different with the primary grape being 90% Croatina then augmented with 5% Nebbiolo and 5% native varietals. The reason for this particular cuvee is that the Croatina vines are 100 years old and Chrstoph loves the distinction and inherent brilliance of the varietal in this area and makes this special wine.

From vineyards at 1500-1600 feet, this wine is quite a remarkable Piedmont treat. Profuse aromatics rule the day on this wine that is nothing like Barolo or Barbaresco. Sultry scents of violet, mushroom, underlying graham-like spice. Medium-to-full texture with all of the mysteriousness that Croatina delivers along with a hint of spiciness and licorice brought forth by the Nebbiolo and other grapes, the Piane is a wine that can be uncorked with roasted or grilled meats, but also one that will age nicely for 8-10 years, too. This is what is so exciting about Italy right now, the use of indigenous grapes and the expression of the boot's diverse terroirs.